Roxas City execs address issues besetting rice aid program

ROXAS City – Mayor Ronnie Dadivas along with City Administrator Love Usison and City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) Program Officer Persy Cordova answered questions arising from the rice distribution program amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the concerns besetting the program is the price per sack and quality of the rice distributed to families affected by the pandemic.

Dadivas said allegations of overpricing and foul quality of the rice are deceiving.

The Bugas para sa taga Roxas program provides 10 kilos of rice to each family household residents here.

The mayor said the price per 50-kilo sack of rice bought from the National Food Administration (NFA) was P1,250, not P150 per sack as claimed by critics of the program.

Dadivas assured that the locally milled rice, which was a product of Capiz farmers, is of good quality and the cheapest in the market.

As to the question that only 15,000 sacks of rice were purchased, Dadivas said the figure is correct as the city plans to buy another 17,146 bags of rice (50-kilo/bag) worth P21,432,500. This batch will be distributed to 45,269 families in September and October.

The City Council recently approved the P35-million supplemental budget for the rice aid program. The money will be used to buy 28,000 bags of rice (also at 50 kilos per bag). Divided by 10 kilos per recipient, the additional rice stock will yield 140,000 batches of 10-kilo rice packs which will be distributed in November to December 2021 and January 2022.

Dadivas assured that the rice distribution program will continue as he does not want residents to suffer from hunger.

“Sa liwat, ako nagapasalig nga wala makapauntat sa distribusyon sang Bugas. Importante sa akon nga wala gutom sa Roxas City,” he added.